The sex scene in "Universal Invariants" is my favorite sex scene in fan fiction, period. It's perfect.
And you have a good point in mentioning their brevity. I don’t tend to notice that they’re short while I’m reading, because they’re extremely effective, and I guess that’s kind of the point: writing long sex scenes is, quite often, what a writer does when they’re not sure the sex scene is strongly written enough to be short and still be effective.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Actually, the first sex scene in LOM sticks in my mind for how horrible it is. I find it more painful than any of the sex scenes in Iolokus, for example, despite Iolokus being a much more overtly dark and troubling story.
That's a good point, although I must confess I don't actually remember any of the sex scenes in Iolokus and I just reread it last autumn. I remember two scenes best: the horrific scene where she lights the fetuses on fire and the holiday happy ending with the Mooselet. Go figure.
The first sex scene in LoM is a very painful read for me, too. I think it works because it fits within the context of the story, and because she doesn't let it drop: all of the painful aftermath is played out and worked out within the story's framework.
The Mulder and Scully are older, wounded, more mistrustful, less willing (or able) to be swept up in frantic passion with even temporary disregard for the consequences.
Yes, the scenes work because of how well they reflect the changes they've gone through by this point in the series. Plot and character, perfectly interwoven. She's just so damn good.
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winterfish
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Date: 2012-04-17 03:06 am (UTC)And you have a good point in mentioning their brevity. I don’t tend to notice that they’re short while I’m reading, because they’re extremely effective, and I guess that’s kind of the point: writing long sex scenes is, quite often, what a writer does when they’re not sure the sex scene is strongly written enough to be short and still be effective.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Actually, the first sex scene in LOM sticks in my mind for how horrible it is. I find it more painful than any of the sex scenes in Iolokus, for example, despite Iolokus being a much more overtly dark and troubling story.
That's a good point, although I must confess I don't actually remember any of the sex scenes in Iolokus and I just reread it last autumn. I remember two scenes best: the horrific scene where she lights the fetuses on fire and the holiday happy ending with the Mooselet. Go figure.
The first sex scene in LoM is a very painful read for me, too. I think it works because it fits within the context of the story, and because she doesn't let it drop: all of the painful aftermath is played out and worked out within the story's framework.
The Mulder and Scully are older, wounded, more mistrustful, less willing (or able) to be swept up in frantic passion with even temporary disregard for the consequences.
Yes, the scenes work because of how well they reflect the changes they've gone through by this point in the series. Plot and character, perfectly interwoven. She's just so damn good.